The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-17

4
Col. John, land must accept your explana-
| ton for the present. / deeply regret, how
ever, that our business cannot be settled in
| the rational manner / have suggested. "
! Three months later they met on the field OF
! honor, and Perry fell on the first fire with a
bullet in his brain.
Lionel Brown, a nephew of Aaron Burr,
| lived at Potosi, in Washington county. For
| some alleged remarks rejecting upon some
of the lady members of the Brown family
Lionel sent a challenge to Smith. Augustus
| JONES' then of Potosi, and still wealthy
| resident of Texas was Browns second, and
| Col McClanahan acted for Smith. The
| parties went to Herculaneum, on the Mlssis-
sippi river and crossed over into Monroe
county, Illinois. The ground being meas
ured off, the pistols were cooked and placed
in the hands of the principals. The CON
ditions were that as soon as the principals
signifed that they were ready, one of the
seconds should deliberately count lone,
two, three" Neither party was to shoot
before the word ''onen or after the word
three
Smith, who was a remarkably quick man
in all his movements, fired with the rapldlty
of lightning as soon as the word zone" was
uttered, and Lionel Brown fell dead with
a bullet IN his brain before the word three"
was uttered Smith was not touched-in
fact, Browns pistol was discharged in the
air as he fell.
In the year 1929, Col. Smith went to
Nashville, and challenged the historic Gen.
Sam Houston, afterward President of the
Texas Republic. Gen. Houston refused to
accept the challenge, but published card
in which he said he had mo disposition to
court squared with Col. Smith of Mis-
souri," At the time Houston's action was
looked upon as a square back down.
The killing of Ball in 1880 was the last Of
Smiths homicides. While on bail await
ing trial for the offense, he came
to st. Louis. He was described then
as having hair perfectly white.
He wore bucZskin hunting-shirt
and a pair of shoes with the tan on them.
"He seemed" says John F. Darby in his
Personal Recollections, - 'from his venera-
BILE appearance, to have sort of Daniel
Boone aspect about him, which attracted
the gaze of every one" When the guests
of the Planters House learned who he was
their dread of him was unbounded. He
had the fire to himself, and when he
walked on the streets he was hastily given
the greatest possible amount of room.
At about this time he went up to Jeffer
son city during a session of the Legislature.
The Hon. James S. Rollins, then young man
of 25, had just returned from tour
of the State, on which he had attracted
general attention by his eloquence in the
temperance cause. Old Smith was in the
City Hotel barroom and Office one night
considerably the worse for liquor, when
young Rollins came in. Smith heard the
name, and, calling the young man up said:
you are the young man whose temperance
speeches have earned for you the name of
the silver tongue, aren't you"
my name is Rollins" modestly replied
the gratified orator.
Old Smith turned to the bar and filled
tumbler with whisky. Then whipping
out his bowie knife, he said: "Well, Mr..
Silver Tongue, | want you to join me in a
drink"
II have never taken drink in my life"
Rollins protested.
mo, sir, you never will unless you take
this one right now" and the glistening blade
was fiourished. Rollins drank the liquor
1t made him very sick but it did not kill
him, and Smith certainly would have done
so if he had persisted i'll his refusal. There
are hundreds of stories afloat, many of
which are no doubt apocryphal, of this ma
ture. One of the most absurd is that when
in his cups he would draw his pistol and
make his son-in-law, James NJ. White, who
was large, stout man, dance until ex-
hausted Col Smith had but one daughter,
who first married John Dedrich, by whom
she had son and daughter. On his death
she married Mr.. White, by whom she had
large family. Their descendants are among
the best families in Missouri. The Kennel
family is a branch of the Smith family
Judge j. Gillespie, of Edwardsville. once
met Col. John Smith I. on steamboat, and
gives an interesting account of the meeting
Mr. Gillespie had heard much of this char
acter from Missouri miners, who had been
at Galena in the early days. and had long
experienced a curiosity to see him. 1t was
in 1884, and Mr.. Gillespie was on his way
North, when at Cairo Col Smith, attended
by his servant, got aboard, on their way to
Selma They were both armed to the teeth
in fact, loaded down with rifles, pistols,
and bowie knives, and Smith carried III adj
dition gun made to resemble huge walk
ing-cane. The cabin in those DAYS was on
| the lower deck, and as soon as it was known
| who was aboard hurried consultation took
place among the passengers, and it was de-
termined to make common cause should
Smith have difficulty with any of them.
Smith seemed to feel that the passengers
looked askance at him, and, pushing his
way through the crowd, with a scowl before
which they all fell back, he took seat >G,f
the guard at the rear OF the Wheel and
looked out upon the scenery .Sir. Gillesnie
who was young man, allowed his curiosity
to know this man overcome his fear of his
person, and Stepping forward introduced
himself. He was very coldly and super
c1housiy received, but soon became cordial
UiQ TtiliuTkcu upon
she evident aversion in which he was held
by the passengers. Gillespie replied that the
passengers looked upon him as a dangerous
man, having killed so many men, He re-
piled that he had; that circumstances had
thrown him into the society of the most des-
perate and lawlesS men in the world, and
that he had been obliged to fight his way
through and i'll doing so he had endeavored
never to allow any one to get the advantage
of him, but, said he very emphatically, II
assure you, sir. that | never killed man
without being able to lay my hand upon my
heart and declare most severely before God
that was fully justified"
The young man then brought up the sub
ject of Smiths difficulty with Gen. Jackson.
The Colonel replied that the trouble grew
out of the circumstance of his contemplated
entry of some lands in Arkansas upon which
there were some medicinal springs He ap-
piled to the General Land Office to enter
the lands, when he was informed that they
had been withdrawn from sale, upon the
suggestion of Gen. jackson Smith said
that Jackson knew of his intention to enter
the land, for it had been communicated to
him in confidence, whereupon he sent a
challenge to the General, who paid no at
tention TO it, but prepared himself for
street fight. Smith went to Nashville in
the meanwhile, which was Jackson's head
quarters. One morning when Smith was
dismounting from his horse in front of
church one of his pistols was accidentally
discharged, to the great CONSERVATION
GNlx. al L